I Will Stand Beside you in your Anguish
by Solo Shadow
Summary: [COMPLETE!]When a dangerous and unexplainable disease attacks Kyou, how will everyone take it?...This is my first story so please review it!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters, or anything relating to the anime/manga. (except the books!)

Kyou awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. He'd had the dream again - the one where he kept running, crying out for someone, but he was all alone. _It's just a nightmare._ He told himself stubbornly. _Just a nightmare…_

He awoke the next morning early, and out of energy. _It's Saturday._ He thought. _I can sleep late._ However, when he woke several hours later, he was still dead tired. _Must be raining. _He thought groggily. _But I'm hungry, I better get up for breakfast._

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru called cheerfully. "Time to eat!"

Kyou tried to pull himself up, but got a big surprise when he did. Excruciating pain ripped through his body - so intense he cried out.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru shouted, alarmed at his cry. "Kyou-kun, are you all right?"

Kyou tried to call to Tohru, but his pain intensified, and he screamed again.

"Why is the cat making that racket so early in the morning?" Yuki said to Tohru, less than concerned.

Tohru, however, was in panic. "Kyou-kun? Kyou-kun, I'm coming in now!"

By now Shigure was on the scene, more concerned than Yuki but calm, unlike Tohru. "He locks the door at night. Yuki will have to knock down the door…" _My poor house! --_

Yuki, unfortunately, had fallen asleep on his feet again.

"Fine, I'll do it." Shigure said with a sigh. He broke the door down and burst into the room.

By now, Kyou was in such pain he wanted it to end in any way possible.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru rushed over.

The second she touched him, his body went numb.

"Tohru…" he muttered, before closing his eyes, unconscious.

"Shigure-san, what's wrong with him?" Tohru asked tearfully.

"I don't know." Shigure said, serious for a change. "I'll call Haa-san at once."

While Shigure made the call, Tohru sad at Kyou's side, running her fingers through his hair and stroking his face.

Yuki, now awake, watched from the corner. _She's so worried._ He thought. _She must really love him._ His jealousy flared up. _Why him? Why not me? _He thought bitterly. Deep down he knew the answer, but he wasn't ready to admit it.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters, or anything relating to the anime/manga. (except the books!)

When Hatori got the call from Shigure, Momiji was in for a check-up.

"Shigure? What could you possibly want so early in the morning? Oh my, really? Kyou? If it's that serious, I'll be right over.

"What's wrong?" Momiji asked curiously. "Are you going to visit Tohru? Can I come?"

"No." Hatori said flatly.

Momiji burst into tears. "Why not?" he sniffled. "I want to see Tohru."

"I'm not going to visit Tohru, this is an emergency.

Momiji's eyes got wide. "What do you mean?"

Against his better judgment, Hatori told Momiji the details of the call. Needless to say, he had ride-alongs; Momiji, Kisa, Hiro, and Haru. (Thankfully no one mentioned Kyou to Kagura!) Momiji and Kisa had enough compassion to worry about Kyou, but Haru and Hiro just wanted to laugh at him.

When they arrived, Momiji and Kisa ran over to comfort Tohru while Haru slunk over to Yuki. Hiro was left in the middle of the room, feeling left out.

"Aren't you going to include me?" He shouted at Tohru. "What a rude woman you are!"

This statement caused Tohru to burst into tears.

"Hey, ah…I didn't mean that…hey…relax, it's just hot-headed Kyou…he'll be fine…." Hiro wasn't very good at consoling people.

"All right Shigure, what's going on?" Hatori wasted no time.

"I have no idea." Shigure said sheepishly. "He was screaming in pain…at least I think it was pain, and it was quite loud, so we came in, but then he got quiet, and well then…" Shigure babbled on, but Hatori swiftly got to work.

"Kyou, can you hear me?" Hatori said softly.

Kyou could hear Hatori faintly. _Oh hell, how embarrassing. In front of the rat, too._ He shifted in bed, and slowly opened his eyes. The pain was gone.

"Kyou-kun, you're awake!" Tohru smiles through tears.

"Kyou shouldn't worry Tohru like that!" Momiji said.

Kyou rolled his eyes. "Whatever, rabbit." He said rudely. But he was sorry he worried Tohru, especially since he felt fine now.

"Well, Kyou, what was wrong anyway?" Hatori asked.

"How the hell would I know?" Kyou shouted. "And why are **_they_** all in my room! Get lost!"

"We were expressing our concern. We can tell how much you appreciate it." Haru said sarcastically.

"SHUT UP, PUNK!" Kyou's temper rose. He jumped up angrily, only to fall back onto his bed because of searing pain in his legs.

"Kyou-kun, are you okay?" Tohru looked alarmed.

He felt himself blushing under her gaze. "Fine…just…sore…should be fine by Monday."

"Well, if that's all, we'll be going." Hatori glared at Shigure. "This hardly seems to be the emergency you described. I should have known."

"But-I-he" Shigure was indignant, but everyone ignored him as usual.

"Hatori….can Kisa and I stay with Tohru?" Momiji asked. "Please?"

Hatori sighed. "Fine. I'll pick you up tomorrow. But leave Kyou alone." The last comment was directed at Haru and Hiro. "If he really was in the condition Shigure claimed, he doesn't need people running around "arousing" him."

Kyou rolled his eyes. _At least they'll stay out of my way. Damn, my legs really hurt…I wonder what I did to them. What was up with those pains anyway? Oh well, I can't worry about it now._

"Let's let Kyou-kun rest. I'll bring you up some soup." Tohru smiled sweetly. "I want you to relax, no climbing up on the roof today, even though it is beautiful out."

"It's not raining?" Kyou said sharply.

"No dumbass, it's not." Haru sneered.

"Okay, everyone out. The patient needs his rest!" Shigure always knew just how to infuriate Kyou.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or the characters, or anything relating to the anime/manga. (except the books!)

By Sunday night, Kyou was feeling better. Which meant he was back to his regular, unpleasant self.

"Kyou-kun, I'm so glad you're up!" Tohru exclaimed. "Would you like me to fix you something to eat?"

Ignoring her, Kyou opened the fridge and grabbed the milk.

"How rude to ignore a lady that offers to cook for you. Just like a cat!" Yuki taunted.

Oddly, Kyou didn't respond to the insult. Instead, he turned to Torhu and asked "Where's the aspirin?"

"Ah…in the medicine cabinet." Tohru said. "But if you have a headache, you should rest."

"I don't need you telling me how to take care of myself!" Kyou snapped.

"Don't yell at her because she's teaching you what you obviously don't know." Yuki shouted. "Stupid cat…"

"Did I ask you, you damn rat?" Kyou growled.

Surprisingly, instead of allowing the argument to continue, Kyou stumbled upstairs.

"I hope he's okay…" Tohru said.

"Oh, he's just sulking I'm sure." Shigure popped up out of nowhere. "He's always cranky, you should know that by now."

"…if you say so…"

Later that night, Tohru found Kyou up on the roof.

"Kyou-kun?" she whispered.

She heard his light breathing and realized he was sleeping. She couldn't help looking at his face. _He looks so peaceful when he sleeps._ She gazed at him fondly. _He'll get cold-I'll find him a blanket._

She found a warm blanket and placed it over Kyou's sleeping body.

"Sleep well." She said gently, and then returned inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**_All disclaimers apply!_**

* * *

Thanks for everyone that reviewed. I'll be writing more in the chapters now, sorry they started out so short...well, here's chapter four...

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When Monday came, Kyou insisted on going to school.

"But Kyou-kun, maybe you should rest. You don't seem like yourself." Tohru said.

"Did I ask you?" Kyou said fiercely.

"Ah…no…but…"

"Come, Honda-san," Yuki encouraged. "Let him worry about himself. If we're lucky he'll wear himself out with all that thinking."

On the way to school Tohru and Yuki walked together, leaving Kyou behind.

"Honda-san, don't fret. He's just being a pain because he's unhappy about Saturday." Yuki said.

"I'm just worried it may be more than that." Tohru fretted. "Let's talk about something less unpleasant, like your wonderful ideas on student council!"

Yuki found himself blushing. "I'm just one person. The whole council works hard."

Tohru smiled at him anyway.

When they arrived at school Momiji and Haru were waiting.

"Is Kyou feeling better?" Momiji asked, jumping on his back.

"Get the hell off me." Kyou snarled. "I want to get inside."

Momiji hopped off and began to chat happily with Tohru.

Kyou walked inside and headed to the bathroom, where he locked himself in a stall. His head was pounding. _What's wrong with me? _He let himself slide down against the side of the stall. _I can't be so pathetic. Suck it up._

Outside, Haru pulled Yuki aside.

"How are you?" he asked solemnly.

"I'm fine Haru, why are you asking?" Yuki responded.

"Well I thought with this whole Kyou thing Tohru may not be paying enough attention to you. That simply wouldn't be fair."

"Honda-san has been wonderful, as she always is." Yuki said defensively. _How did he know?_

"Well….if you need anything I'm here." Haru said seriously.

"Thank you Haru."

The day drifted on. At some point, Kyou found himself feeling sickly. Very sickly. _Aw shit. I can't go to the nurse. And I can't just leave Torhu-she'll be worried. This will pass. _He started to sweat and loose focus. _Suck it up! _He was still being stubborn.

"Hey orangey, up to the board!" The teacher commanded.

It took Kyou a full minute to realize what she wanted. "Oh…okay…." When he stood, his body felt like lead. _C'mon you idiot, don't be such a baby. _Each step felt like torture. Halfway to the board, right in front of Yuki's desk, he collapsed.

"What are you trying to pull?" Arisa, a friend of Tohru's, scoffed. "Hurry up."

But Kyou still didn't move. The class erupted in chaos.

"Is he okay?"

"Probably on drugs," someone said.

Everyone was milling around, but no one tried to help Kyou, except Tohru and Yuki. When Yuki saw Kyou drop, a feeling of dread came over him.

"Get up, you idiot!" Yuki shook Kyou violently. "Wake up!" he said more desperately.

"He's not getting up!" Tohru cried. "What should we do?"

Arisa and Hanajima appeared.

"What's up?" Arisa said coolly. Seeing Tohru's frantic look, she asked again. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"He won't wake up." Yuki said dully. "I need you two to distract the teacher. Don't let her call an ambulance. Tohru, you go find Haru. I don't care what he's doing, explain what's going on and bring him here."

Tohru leapt up and ran out of the classroom. Luckily, she knew where Haru was. She slammed open the door of the quiet class.

"Sorry to interrupt…" she felt herself reddening. "But I need to speak to Hatsuharu -san."

Haru stood up and walked right up to her. "'Sup?"

Outside the room, Tohru explained everything.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. We can't let him turn into his cat form with all those people around, so I'll carry him outside, where you'll be waiting after you call Hatori and get Momiji-I won't let him walk home alone. Got it?"

Tohru nodded.

"All right, let's go!"

Haru entered the classroom to find under pandemonium. Arisa decided the best way to distract the teacher would be lighting papers on fire, and everyone was panicking.

"Hey, Yuki?" He called.

"Here. Let us go."

Haru threw the unconscious Kyou over his back lazily.

"He doesn't weigh much." Haru commented.

Yuki smiled. "Where's Honda-san?"

"Waiting outside with Momiji. I told her to call Hatori."

"Okay." Yuki didn't want to admit it, but he was very worried about his cousin. "We should hurry."

"Right."

Hatori was already outside with Tohru and Momiji. "Get him in the car." He said to Haru.

Haru did as he was told, and they all piled into the car. Tohru was hugging Momiji tightly,(turning him into rabbit form) and Yuki was staring at Kyou's unconscious form gravely.

"Where are we going?" Haru asked.

"Shigure's house. I need to find out what's wrong with him."

"You mean you don't know?" Tohru asked nervously.

"No. This is highly unusual for Kyou. I don't recall this sort of thing ever happening to him before." Hatori said bluntly. "Now hush, we should all relax until we get back to the house."

But no one wanted to be quiet. Tohru cried softly and Momiji tried to comfort her, and Yuki asked many questions.

"What do you think is wrong? Does it have to do with Saturday?" He inquired.

Hatori almost smiled. "I'm amazed you're so worried Yuki. What brought this on?"

Yuki became flustered. "I was just curious. Don't tell me if you don't want to…I don't mind."

Once they reached Shigure's house, Hatori told everyone to stay away. "I need to check him quickly and accurately. He's unconscious yet still in human form, which is odd. Now everybody out until I know more."

No one had bothered to explain anything to Shigure, so he was quite a pain.

Finally Yuki snapped, "Shut up and we'll see."

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Wow, long chapter. It will get more interesting, and I'll explain things better eventually. Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

**_Standard disclaimers apply_**

* * *

Kyou squirmed in his sleep. He was having the nightmare once again. All alone….but he didn't want to be alone. _This can't be right._ _I won't let myself live like that. Never!_

Hatori sighed. "Kyou, what is wrong with you?" he asked softly.

As if in response, Kyou moaned.

Hatori examined Kyou a second time, and still found no trace of injury or illness. "Kyou, this must be going on in your heart. That's the only explanation. I cannot help you unless you wake yourself up."

On cue, Kyou jerked awake. "NO!" he cried.

Hatori was startled. "No what?"

Kyou stared up at him. "No, no, never!" he said, shaking his head back and forth. "I won't let it happen….I won't let it happen…"

"Kyou, what are you ranting about?"

Kyou turned to Hatori, and his eyes were glazed over, as if he was looking through him.

"Kyou?"

Kyou heard someone speaking. _That voice…it's familiar…who is it? Wait…I know…Hatori. What does he want?_

"What?" Kyou growled. "What now?"

Hatori sighed again. _So like Kyou…_ "Kyou, do you have any idea what happened?"

Kyou shrugged. "Nothing. We went to school, walked home, and now you're bugging me."

Hatori shook his head. "Not quite. You see, you collapsed in class. Tohru called me and Yuki and Haru got you outside. You've been out cold for almost four hours."

Kyou stared at him in disbelief. "No way."

"I'm very serious Kyou, you had everyone worried. Now, answer a few questions."

Kyou rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this." He tried to stand up, and fell down immediately. "Oww…"

"You should listen Kyou." Hatori said. "Listen well. I believe you're suffering from fatigue. I do not know why or how, but a condition like this becomes serious quickly with no visible signs. I want you to rest."

Kyou, however, wasn't listening. He was staring at his body. _Why are you doing this to me?_ He thought angrily. _Why now? Don't break down like some overused car._ He shivered. The thought of being bedridden, even for a short amount of time, was agony. _I wouldn't be able to stand that. _

Abruptly, Kyou cut Hatori off by starting to cough. A cough that came from deep inside his chest, and was rather painful. _Not again…_ He had been coughing all of the night before.

"See Kyou?" Hatori said. "You're ill, and I don't want to find out you've passed out in school again. Stay put for a while."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Tohru was having a breakdown.

"I shouldn't have let him go to school! This is all my fault! I should have just sat him down and said no when he insisted."

"Honda-san, don't blame yourself. Kyou would never take no for an answer. It would be dangerous to tell him so." Yuki said. "Even though he could kill himself not listening." He muttered to himself.

"Don't worry about Kyou." Haru said. "He's too stubborn to stay sick long."

"Will someone **_please _**explain what happened?" Shigure whined.

Yuki groaned inwardly. _Shigure is such a pain sometimes. _"Kyou collapsed in class. We have no idea what brought it on. We called Hatori and came back here."

"Oh…how silly of Kyou…." Shigure wasn't taking things very seriously.

"I don't think he intended to do it Shigure." Yuki said, his patience thinning.

"Do my ears deceive me?" Shigure didn't get the message. "Did I hear Yuki defending Kyou? What has the world come to?"

This angered Yuki, but he didn't want to lose it in front of everyone. "I'm just trying to show compassion…unlike you." He said through gritted teeth.

"Oh course…" Shigure said, looking confused.

Hatori opened the door. "You can all come in now."

Tohru dashed in. "Kyou-kun, what was it? Are you all right? Would you like anything?"

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Stop hovering like you're my mother or something."

Tohru ignored him. "What is wrong with him, Hatori-san?" she asked.

"As far as I can tell…fatigue." _And something I cannot place. _"He needs rest, that's for sure. Don't let him out of bed for whatever reason."

Tohru was taking Hatori very seriously, Kyou could tell. _Just great…_ He thought. _I'll look like an idiot, being waited on hand and foot by poor Tohru. _

"Why do you all keep mingling in my room? GET OUT!" he shouted angrily. "Can't I get one moments peace?"

Everyone filed out, but Haru had a few things to say to Kyou.

"You know, some people were really worried about you. Stop being such an ass about it and thank them sometime." Haru stomped off, apparently turned black.

Kyou then did something someone would consider extremely strange, especially for him. Hugging his pillow tightly, he whispered, "They won't understand, no one understands…". He rocked himself back and forth, talking to himself. No one noticed, because no one wanted to be the one to go into his room after being told to stay out. He was all alone.

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Review...there is more to come... 


	6. Chapter 6

_**Standard disclaimers apply!**_

Thank you sooo much to all the people that reviewed! I'm trying to make the story as interesting as possible for you!

* * *

While cooking dinner, Tohru felt uneasy, like something horrific was going to happen. _I must stop thinking this way. Kyou-kun has many more things to worry about._

So she continued her work, ignoring the nagging doubts in her head.

Sitting in the next room, Haru, Yuki and Momiji were all silent. Yuki was replaying the scene of Kyou falling over and over again in his head. _There is something odd about this. What am I missing?_

Haru was watching Yuki intently. _He's honestly worried. Did I miss something? He and Kyou are rivals, enemies since birth. Why is he acting this way? _

Momiji was also having serious thoughts. _Kyou usually doesn't go out of his way to get attention. He definitely wouldn't pull a stunt like this intentionally. And poor Tohru is so worried. I hope Kyou's going to be all right…_

"Hey, where'd Shigure get to?" Haru asked lazily.

"Probably running off so he won't have to be the one to bring Kyou dinner." Yuki said.

However, Shigure **_was _**trying to do something important. He had returned with Hatori to the estate to talk to Akito.

"Shigure, I thought you'd stop by. Do come in." Akito said without emotion. "What is on your mind."

_I always have to watch myself around this man. I may have known him for a long time, but I do not know what to expect. _"Well, it seems one of the boys has been affected by a unique condition." Shigure said cautiously.

"Now, now Shigure, you must be more direct than that. Which one of the boys?"

"Kyou." Shigure answered. "I thought you might know something of it."

"Perhaps I do." Akito laughed wickedly. "Perhaps I do. Leave now, I no longer wish to be in your presence."

"I see. I shall go." Shigure backed out of the room on guard. _I knew it! Akito has something to do with this! But what? How is he conducting this? And what for? I must find out more, but it would not be wise to tell the children of this yet._

Shigure arrived home right before dinner, and didn't give a clue as to where he'd been.

Dinner was tense and silent. Everyone could guess what the others were thinking, but no one wanted to talk about it.

_Who would have thought Kyou would cause a meal to be **quiet.**_ Yuki found it funny in a bitter sort of way.

It was Tohru who broke the shield of quiet. "I'll go bring Kyou-kun his dinner. I don't want him to starve."

They all sort of grunted in acknowledgement.

"Tohru, is he's difficult just leave it outside his door. Don't tire yourself trying to get him to listen to reason."

"Okay." Tohru smiled. "I should be down shortly. She started up the stairs. When she got to Kyou's door she stopped and knocked lightly. "Kyou-kun, can I come in?"

He didn't reply, so she knocked harder. "Kyou-kun?" Still no answer. Since Tohru is one to overreact, she called again and again. When he didn't respond, she walked right into the room. "KYOU-KUN!"

She looked around the room. At first glance, everything looked fine. But as she looked closer she noticed the red substance on the floor. _Please don't be…_ It was blood. (A/n: I bet you saw that coming…I have to be more creative…) "Kyou-kun where are you!"

Then she saw him, curled up in a ball on the floor, in the midst of the red mess.

"Yuki-kun! Hatsuharu-san! Shigure-san! Come quickly!"

The three of them rushed up.

"Oh my god!" Shigure gasped. "Pick him up! What's wrong with him Yuki?"

Yuki flipped Kyou over onto his back. "I don't see an open wound…"

Kyou woke suddenly, staring right into Yuki's eyes.

"What the hell are you doing in my room!" he screamed as he pulled away.

"Tohru called us. I'd be thankful if I were you…look around you." Haru said.

Kyou looked around, taking in the bloody mess. "What happened?" he asked.

"This isn't your blood?" Yuki was dumbfounded. "Where did it come from then? It has to be yours!"

"Obviously, it's not, now out! I want to sleep."

"But shouldn't you clean the-"

"OUT!"

They all left the room. Tohru was shivering. "That was terrifying. I was so worried that…" she didn't finish.

"That blood was probably planted there," said Haru, half-kidding.

"Actually Haru, you might be onto something…" Shigure walked off, leaving everyone confused.

Momiji had appeared. "What happened now?"

"Someone's screwing with us." Haru said bluntly. "Either that or Kyou has a twisted mind. Maybe both."

Haru was closer to the truth than he knew. In his room, Kyou curled up in the bloody sheets, ignoring the smell. _I bet they don't really care. They didn't check me very well. _He pulled up his shirt revealing a gash across his lower stomach, still bleeding. _I better bandage myself up. I'm so tired…_

Unbeknownst to him, Kyou was being watched. Not all the blood was his either. Outside, the person who was really psychotic lurked. Some of the blood **_had_** been planted. And Kyou certainly hadn't cut himself. No, this person was toying with his mind.

Downstairs, the kids were hard at work. Yuki had found some books about physical breakdowns and mental ones, and they were all flipping through, trying to spread some light on what was going on.

"Hey, there are over 100 cases of some psycho making it seem that another person's crazy." Haru commented. "That would make sense…except for the fact that Kyou wouldn't let some guy into his room and spill blood all over."

"Yeah, Kyou would kill him first." Momiji said. "I'm not finding anything interesting…hey…what about that thing you girls have?" he turned to Tohru. "You know, your period. Doesn't it make you all emotional?"

Yuki had to laugh. "I don't think Kyou is having his period, Momiji."

"True…but I'm trying to cover all the possibilities."

"I don't think books will help us much…" Haru said. "Something messed up is going on, that's for sure."

"Yes…and it's late. We should all rest. Haru, Momiji, I take it you'll spend the night." Shigure reappeared silently, causing them all to jump.

"Uh…yea…" Haru murmured. _Where's he been?_

"All right then, everyone to bed. We'll deal with this is the morning." Shigure felt Yuki staring at his back. _He knows something. I should tell him, but I can't yet…_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Standard disclaimers apply!_**

* * *

Thank you so much to every person who read and reviewed! Sorry this chapter took so long to finish! I'll try to work faster!

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Tohru shifted around in her bed. She just couldn't sleep. She was far too worried about Kyou. _All the blood-it had to get there somehow. I should have at least insisted on cleaning it up, regardless of what Kyou-kun said. I need to be more assertive. He's ill, and he needs help, whether he'll admit it or not._

**_Crash!_** Tohru heard noises coming from downstairs. She sat up abruptly. "Yuki-kun?" she called. "Hatsuharu-san? Momiji-kun? Was that one of you?" She got no response. Slowly she got up. "Shigure-san? Kyou-kun?" She could hear someone moving downstairs. Now she was frightened. She went to Yuki's door. "Yuki-kun?" she whispered. "Yuki-kun, there's someone downstairs. I think it's a burglar."

Yuki sat up, eyes fuzzy with sleep. "Okay, Honda-san. Let's go see."

Together they crept down the stairs. From the living room, they could see a figure in the kitchen. "Shh." Yuki told Tohru. "Let me go first."

In a flash he had the person in a headlock. "Honda-san, turn on the lights!" he yelled. The person was thrashing violently.

Tohru ran for the lights, and just as she got there, the person threw Yuki off him.

"Yuki-kun, are you all right?"

"Yes. Come, we have to catch him!"

The two of them dashed outside, and Tohru ran smack into a body.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!...Torhu-kun?"

"Kagura-san?"

"Yes." It was Kagura Tohru had run into. "Who was the person that just ran by?"

"That's what we'd like to know." Yuki said. "What are you doing here so late at night Kagura?"

"When I heard about my poor Kyou-kun I had to come at once! There is no way of keeping me from him. I must see him now!"

_Poor Kyou. _Yuki thought. "Hey Kagura, I know you're eager to see him, but why not wait until morning? You can stay with Torhu and see Kyou as soon as you wake up."

Kagura agreed unhappily. "I suppose that is what's best for Kyou-kun…"

When they returned inside Shigure was waiting. "What was all the noise? Hello Kagura…"

"Someone broke in." Yuki said calmly. "We were trying to catch him, and bumped into Kagura, who is here to see Kyou."

"Oh….well everyone return to bed. We'll deal with this in the morning." Shigure said meekly. "I don't feel like dealing with this right now."

They all returned to their rooms. But Yuki couldn't sleep, which was unusual. _Who was the person in our house? What do they want? Does this have anything to do with Kyou? _Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. He got up, and went to Kyou's favorite place…the roof.

_I understand why he likes it up here so much. It's so peaceful…you can really think._ Yuki stretched out. _Who would have thought I'd agree with Kyou on anything…_He chuckled to himself. Then his thoughts turned serious again. _Shigure knows something-it's obvious. But what? I bet Akito has something to do with this._

While Yuki was lost in his thoughts, Haru was planning. _This isn't some virus. Something-or someone, is attacking Kyou's mind. He hates blood, he would have accepted when Tohru offered to clean it. I bet Akito's behind this. Always with the drama. Well tomorrow I'll have a talk with Akito. _

Content with that, he drifted to sleep.

Kyou, however, was not so content. His stomach wound throbbed painfully, and he had a terrible headache. _What's wrong with me? Why am I pushing everyone away? Tohru told me it was okay to accept help when you need it. _He curled up on his bed. _Eeh…this blood smells terrible. But I'm so tired…I don't feel like washing it off right now. Tomorrow…tomorrow I'll try harder…_

Needless to say, no one went to school in the morning. Haru disappeared right after breakfast, and no one cared to talk.

It was Shigure who spoke first. "Apparently there was an intruder last night. Why don't we look around and see if they left anything behind."

Tohru and Yuki hopped up. "Okay."

Momiji and Kagura followed. "I should have stopped them…" Kagura said. "Why didn't I stop to think?"

"It's not your fault, Kagura-san." Tohru said. "They could have been dangerous anyway, and we wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"I could have handled it."

"There's nothing we can do to change that, Kagura." Yuki said. "Don't worry about it."

They searched around the whole house, and Momiji found a scrap of black cloth.

"That doesn't help much. You can buy black clothing anywhere." Kagura said unhappily.

Feeling defeated, they all returned inside.

Kyou woke with a start. His stomach growled. _I'm hungry…I need to eat. _He managed to get out of bed and stumbled into the hall…but then he tripped over the bag Momiji had left in the hall.

**_Boom!_** Everyone downstairs was instantly alert. "Owww…." they heard Kyou grumble.

Yuki walked up rather quickly. "You okay?" he asked.

Kyou looked at him, obviously cynical. Yuki being nice to him? That was just plain weird. "I don't want your he-"

Kagura popped up behind Yuki. "Kyou-kun! What happened to you?"

He turned to Yuki, obviously desperate. "Could ya' help me up?"

Yuki picked him up without question, and allowed Kyou to support himself on his shoulder.

"Kagura…it might be best if you don't hug him." Yuki said.

"But-"

"Come on Kagura, you want him to get better, don't you?"

"Fine…."

Yuki helped Kyou down the stairs, and everyone was happy to see him.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru cried happily. "I'm so glad you're up!"

"Yeah…" Kyou smiled uncomfortably. "Sorry about snapping at you…I-ahh…I didn't mean it…"

Tohru smiled. "I'm just glad you're feeling better!"

"Yeah." Kyou rubbed his stomach, and Tohru noticed.

"What's wrong Kyou-kun? Are you hungry?" she asked curiously.

"No…I…ahh…never mind."

That made everyone suspicious. In a swift motion, Yuki flipped Kyou's shirt up, revealing the deep gash Kyou had attempted to bandange.

"Oh my gosh!" Tohru shouted, as Kagura shrieked.

"What happened, Kyou-kun?" Shigure asked seriously. "And Yuki-kun, go find some bandages. That needs to be redone."

Kyou shrugged. "I just sort of woke up with it…"

"It's so terrible! My poor Kyou-kun!" Kagura hugged him tightly. "Who could have done this to you?"

"Can't breathe" Kyou gasped, as Kagura hugged him tighter.

"Kagura-chan, let go." Shigure said. "You mean to tell me it just appeared? Don't you find that odd?"

Kyou shrugged again. "Well duh…but I was too tired to think about it. I'm here now, aren't I?"

Yuki returned and started to redress the wound.

Kyou pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing you up." Yuki said matter-of-factly. "You didn't do a very good job yourself. Now stand still."

And so Kyou was forced to allow Yuki to bandage him. "Where's the dumb ox?" he asked boredly.

"I don't know, where did Hatsuharu-san go, Momiji-kun?"

Momiji looked baffled. "I thought you knew."

Everyone looked at one another.

"So…where did he go?"


	8. Chapter 8

**_Standard disclaimers apply._**

* * *

**_Again, thank you to every reviewer. You guys are awesome, I don't think I've had any bad reviews. Thanks so much!_**

Haru darted from tree to tree. _I must not be seen. _It hadn't taken him long to get to the estate. He started out for Akito's residence. When he arrived, he saw Akito in deep conversation with another man. He only heard snatches of conversation.

"plan…insanity…fear…"

"Kyou…won't handle…won't be long…"

Haru was perplexed. "What are they talking about?" He risked getting closer.

"Continue tonight." He heard Akito say. "I want this finished quickly."

"Of course, sir. I understand." The man Akito was speaking with left the room.

_I knew Akito was behind this! What are they doing? The physical illness could easily be caused by drugs…but Kyou seemed off…like something more was wrong._

Rustle, rustle. Haru whipped around at the noise, and was grabbed.

"Don't move." A gruff voice said. "You're in big trouble, buddy."

Haru struggled to get free. _This guy is strong. All my training, and I can't move!_

As you may know, danger and challenges cause Haru to turn black. And that's just what happened.

"**What the hell do you think you're doing?**" Black Haru said as he threw the man off. "**I have every right to take a stroll. If you insist on fighting, be fair and challenge me face to face like a man. Have you no honor? Lowlife…**"

The man smirked. "I have no honor. I have a duty. As do my teammates. We cannot allow you to get in the way."

At that moment, someone hit Haru from behind. The hit was hard and fast, hitting his skull hard. Haru fell over, unconscious.

Back at the house, oblivious to the danger Haru was in, everyone was more concerned with Kyou.

"The blood in your room was yours!" Tohru exclaimed. "Oh, Kyou-kun, why are you trying to hide these things? We care about you!"

Kagura nodded in agreement. "I love you, Kyou-kun. Stop hiding things from me."

"Yeah Kyou." Momiji added. "We're family. We look out for each other, right?"

Even Yuki and Shigure agreed. "There's no shame in asking for help, Kyou-kun." Shigure put in. "And when you ask, we will help."

"Whatever." Kyou said, rather red, but honestly, he was touched. _They do care…wow._

"I'll go clean your room right now!" Tohru squealed. "I should have never let you spend the night on those blood sheets!"

Tohru headed upstairs with Kagura and Momiji in tow, and things turned a bit more serious.

"Kyou-kun, I have reason to believe someone is setting you up." Shigure said.

"What does that mean?" Kyou asked.

"Well, first off, and unexplainable wound of that size? If you cut yourself training you would have noticed. That's rather suspicious. Plus, there was a great deal of blood in your room, far too much for you to be perfectly all right if you bled it out."

Kyou rolled his eyes. "So I'm special. What makes you think someone else is doing this?"

"Last night we had an intruder." Yuki said. "Nothing was stolen, so we can rule out robbery."

That caught Kyou's attention. "Intruder? Did they leave anything?"

Yuki frowned. "Well…they left this…" He handed Kyou the patch of cloth.

The instant his fingers touched the cloth, something was triggered in Kyou's mind. A scene from the night before.

Flashback

Kyou lay on his bed. He was too cold, so be pulled up the blanket. Then he was too hot. Too cold, too hot.

He heard the door open. His eyesight was hazy. He could make put the figure of a man, nothing more.

"Shigure? What do you want?" he mumbled.

The figure didn't reply.

"That better not be you, you damn rat." Kyou said angrily.

Still no response. The figure leaned down and pulled out something from his pocket. Suddenly Kyou felt a painful sensation in his abdomen. He touched it, and felt the warm of blood. But he was tired, and the whole thing seemed surreal, so he drifted into sleep.

End flashback

Kyou fell to his knees, holding his head. "Owww."

This alarmed Yuki. "Kyou, are you okay?"

Kyou shook his head back and forth. "I…I remember…" He explained his flashback to them.

Yuki was enraged. "You let this man into the house! You endangered everyone who lives here, along with Momiji and Haru who were staying the night!"

Kyou's temper flared. "He was already in the house, you damn rat! He came through my door, so I thought it was one of YOU!" he spat.

Then the doorbell rang. Shigura jumped up, thankful for the distraction.

"Hello? Oh, Kisa-chan, do come in!" Shigure said, overly enthusiastic.

"Hello…" Kisa said softly. Then, because of the tenderness of her heart, she gave Kyou a big hug. "I'm glad you're feeling better." She smiled up at him innocently.

"KYOU-KUN!" They all turned to see Kagura. "How come…how come you didn't push her away when she hugged you! Why only me? I-I love you!"

And it happened again, Kagura's love and pain overpowering her. She grasped Kyou's ankle tightly and whipped him around her head. He went flying through the paper door when she let go. This would be a normal occurrence, but when he landed he failed to catch himself.

**_Crack. _**The sound was simple but sickening. And Kyou didn't get up.

Yuki jumped up to help Kyou. "Kagura, I warned you about his condition!" he snapped. He then walked over and sat down beside Kyou. "Will you admit you need my help or will be piss and moan like the stubborn cat you are?"

Kyou groaned. "I don't want help from a rat."

Yuki sighed. "I knew you'd say that." He said sadly. "And even though you're stubborn and a thickheaded idiot, I'll help anyway." Yuki then demonstrated his unusual strength by picking Kyou up like a baby.

"Don't carry me like this!" Kyou whined. "You're hurting me!"

Meanwhile, Kisa had turned to Kagura. "If you love him so much…why did you hurt him like that?"

Kagura just stared.

"Why?"

Suddenly Kagura burst into tears and ran into the next room. Then Torhu and Momiji returned.

"Kisa-chan!" Tohru cried happily.

"Onee-chan!" The two girls hugged, then Tohru looked over at Kyou.

"KYOU-KUN! WHAT HAPPENED?" she shouted anxiously.

Kyou rolled his eyes and rubbed his leg. "Kagura." He muttered.

"Is it broken, Kyou-kun?" Shigure asked.

"I'm not sure…" Kyou grumbled. "Hurts like hell though. I definitely can't walk right now."

"You couldn't really walk at all, Kyou." Yuki reminded him.

Kyou glared, then realized he was right. "Whatever…"

"Kyou-kun, you should rest. I'll bring you some nice soup."

He flicked her gently. "I can't walk, remember?"

"I'll help you." Said the always cheerful Momiji. "Come on Kyou!"

"Ahh…I don't think you'd be much help, tiny." The words were hurtful, but Kyou seemed oddly happy, and wasn't really insulting Momiji at that point.

"I'll just carry you." Yuki said, trying to sound casual. _How will he respond. I know he hates me-I should hate him too…but…_

Kyou stared at him for a moment. "Fine, but don't carry me. Let me support myself, I'm not five years old you know."

Yuki nodded, secretly pleased. "Let's go then."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Standard disclaimers apply!_**

* * *

The two boys left the room, and everyone remained stared after them amazed.

"I don't know what's more incredible, Yuki-kun offering or Kyou-kun accepting." Shigure said.

"I'm so glad they're getting along!" squealed Tohru.

Kisa agreed. "Yuki is so nice, and Kyou…Kyou was less scary…"

Momiji giggled. "Kyou's not scary Kisa, he's just blunt, rude, and doesn't know how to talk to people. But he's a nice guy sometimes, at least that's what Tohru says."

Tohru nodded. "I'll make some soup now." She hopped up and left the room.

"Where's Haru?" Kisa asked out of pure curiosity.

"We were pondering that question earlier…" said Shigure. "I do hope he didn't get himself lost again…Anyhow, I should call the police. An intruder is reasonably serious in this house." He walked off mumbling something to himself.

Kisa frowned. "I hope Haru's okay…"

Momiji just grinned. "Haru can take care of himself."

Sad to say, at that very moment Haru was waking up in very real danger. He was chained to a wall in a room he had never entered before. **_Dammit!_** Black thought. **_What did you get us into?_** _I have no idea…hopefully Yuki will notice we're gone. **Grow up…Yuki doesn't care. At this point he cares more about Kyou than you ! **How do you know?_ **_Everyone does._**

Then a man entered. A very hideous man. He had few teeth, and all of the remaining were yellow. His fingernails were in desperate need of a trim. His gray hair fell halfway down his back. He smiled a toothless grin at Haru.

"Hello, sweet child. I brought you something to eat." The man held out a plate of a green substance that might have been soup.

Haru wrinkled his nose. "That's okay…I'm not hungry."

The man continued to smile. "Okay, child. We will be here together for a long time."

**_Just great…_** _We have got to get out of here…_ **_Remember…this was your idea…not mine…._**

Tohru hummed to herself as she made the soup. _Just the right amount of everything! _She thought proudly when she tasted it. _I hope Kyou-kun likes it._

She grabbed the soup and headed for Kyou's room. She opened to door and tiptoed in. Kyou was sleeping again. _I love watching him sleep. He's so…so adorable. I want to help him through this. _Without realizing what she was doing, Tohru leaned in and gave Kyou a kiss.

Kyou woke up and sat upright. Tohru pulled back, thoroughly embarrassed. Her elbow hit the soup bowl, and, of course, it spilled.

"Hot!" Kyou yelled as it hit him.

"Oww!" Tohru shouted as it splattered all over her as well. "I'm sorry, Kyou-kun." She hung her head.

Kyou stared at her. "It's okay…," he said. "I was half-awake anyway…"

"I'll clean your sheets off, then you can rest again."

"Okay…"

That night, Shigure gathered the children. Kagura had calmed down and left earlier, and Haru had never returned, but no one commented on their absence.

"I think it would be best if you go to school tomorrow." Shigure said. "Kyou-kun, of course, will stay home."

Yuki nodded. "We should return to our routines."

Tohru agreed. "Kisa-chan, would you like to spend the night?"

Kisa nodded. "If it's not too much trouble…the walk to school is shorter from here anyway."

"That's quite alright." Shigure said. "Now, I want everyone to get a good night's sleep. I've called the police about the intruder, so don't worry about that tonight." That comment was directed at Yuki.

All the children then left the room, except Yuki.

"Shigure, I don't think Kyou really is better yet." He said slowly. "I also think you're not telling us something."

_Yuki has good instincts. But I fear something terrible may occur if I tell him too much. _"Yuki-kun, you are very perceptive, so I will tell you. I do not believe Kyou is well, either, but he believes he is feeling well, so I forbid you to talk to him about it. I don't wish to speak about this anymore…talk to me in the morning. Good night." Shigure walked away yet again, leaving Yuki irked and confused.

The next morning everyone dragged themselves out of bed and walked to school. When they arrived, Arisa and Hanajima pummeled Tohru with questions.

"What happened to orangey? Why weren't you at school?" Arisa asked.

"I detect waves of worry. Is something wrong Tohru?" said Hanajima.

"Ah…." Tohru wasn't sure what to say. Yuki saved her.

"It seems Kyou has a bit of the flu. He, stubborn as always, refused to rest and wound up making a fool of himself. He wasn't well enough to come to school. Honda-san is concerned, but I believe it will pass."

Tohru nodded. "Yes. Now hurry or we'll be late for class."

"Okay…" Arisa quickly moved on to other things, but Hanajima still sensed something amiss. _Tohru might need my support. I should watch out for anything out of the ordinary._

While everyone else was at school, Kyou prowled around unhappily. _My leg really hurts…I might not be able to train for a while. Dammit! _

He wandered outside. Sitting on the porch, he had time to think. _I can't believe I keep falling apart. But somehow, even when I did, nobody laughed. Even that rat Yuki…they all wanted to help…to help me._

He heard a rustling in the bushes. "Who's there?"

No response. "You better as hell not be trying to sneak up on me!" he growled.

"Who's sneaking up?" A man grabbed him from behind.

"Who the hell are you?" Kyou shouted as he threw him off. "What do you want?"

"Aw, Kyou. We just want to help. We'll give you what you want."

More hands appeared, pinning him down. "Lemme go! Get off! Shigure, get your ass out here!"

"Shut him up!" A voice commanded. A voice Kyou recognized. Then someone put a hand over his face. He couldn't breathe. Eventually, he passed out.

* * *

_Ohh suspense! Hehe._ More coming really soon, don't worry. 


	10. Chapter 10

_**Standard disclaimers apply!**_

* * *

What's up guys? Here's chapter ten. It's rather short...but I'm working on another story, so cut me some slack. The story gets bizarre, stay with me. I'll shut up so you can read now.

* * *

Several minutes later Shigure popped his head outside. "Kyou-kun, what was all the commotion…?" He looked around. "Kyou-kun?" He noticed something in the bushes. "What the…Kyou!"

He rushed over. Kyou was laid out unconscious, across the bushes.

"Kyou-kun! Oh Kyou, what happened?" Shigure let his guard down, showing his tender side. "Kyou-kun, you're bleeding. Oh my! I must call Haa-san. But I can't leave you here! What to do…" (Sometimes Shigure isn't that smart, now is he?) "Well Kyou, I'll have to carry you."

Shigure gently picked up Kyou. "Now Kyou, I won't let anything happen. I promise."

At school, Hanajima picked up on something. "Someone we know is in great pain."

Yuki had the chills. _Something's wrong._

Arisa and Tohru looked at Hanajima. "Who?" asked Arisa.

"I am not sure, but the waves are telling me…we're needed. Quick, we must go!" she ran out of the room. Confused, the others followed. As they were leaving, they bumped into Momiji.

"Take me with you!" he begged. "Otherwise I have no one to walk home with."

"Aren't you going to walk home with Haru?" Yuki asked.

"He never came to school."

"What?" This worried Yuki.

"Maybe he got lost," said Tohru.

"We must hurry!" coaxed Hanajima. "Tohru, Yuki, you don't need Arisa or me. But you're needed. Go. Bring Momiji. Good luck."

The three of them started running. _Something is very, very wrong. _Thought Yuki. _Where's Haru? He wouldn't leave Momiji all alone. And what is Hanajima sensing. We have to get back to the house quickly._

Back at the house, Shigure had gotten Kyou inside. He also called Hatori, who was on his way. Now it seemed Kyou was sleeping. A very fitful sleep.

"Oh Kyou, you're worrying me," said Shigure. "Always so defensive and hot-headed, now look at you. Please be all right."

"Shigure!" Yuki threw the door open. Behind him were Tohru and Momiji. "The bushes are blood- What the hell happened to Kyou?"

"What are you three doing here?" Shigure said. "And all out of breath! Sit down, I called Ha'ri. What is going on? And where's Haru?"

Yuki shook his head. "We don't know. But first, what happened here?"

"Sit down. All of you. I'm not positive, but I'll explain my theory."

"Dammit!" Haru perked up when he heard Akito's voice. _Maybe I'll hear something. _

"You're all incompetent! You were supposed to kill the cat the first time I sent you! I can't believe this!"

_He wants to kill Kyou? Why? Kyou's not the most agreeable person, but he's never done anything to justify murdering him. **It's Akito, what do you expect? He's bitter that he has to die. For all we know he's planning on killing the entire zodiac so he can live. **What?_

"Child…" Haru jumped. He had forgotten about the old man. "Child, you haven't eaten in a day. It's not healthy."

"I guess I have no appetite." Was Haru's response. **_There's no way we're letting that crap into our body._** _For once I agree. Starving to death is better than eating poison._

"You really think Akito is behind this?" Yuki was staring at Shigure. "Is it possible?"

Shigure hung his head. "I do. And I can't stop him. But maybe you can."

"Why would Akito-san want to hurt Kyou-kun?" Tohru asked sadly. "Why?"

"I'll explain." Shigure began. "Generations back, the Sohma family had a head that lived to an old age. The story is this; the child cursed by the cat was sickly, and died in his teen years. It was sad, but many believe that is why the head lived so long. No one dare try to kill the future cats, but Akito….he wants to live, no matter what pain it causes others."

"But how do we know the cat dying was the cause of the head's long life? It could have been something else." Momiji said.

"I think Akito is willing to try anything at this point."

"So you think Akito used his powers and hired other people to make it appear Kyou was ill…then they tried to murder him?" Yuki couldn't believe it. It was too much all at once. "And you think Haru went to find out, and got himself in some sort of trouble?"

The door slid open, and everyone was startled.

"Hello…" It was Hatori. "I'm here to look over Kyou. I heard your theory, Shigure. Normally, I would call it insane, but strange happening are occurring at the main house. Now, everyone out. I need privacy when attending a patient."

They left.

"Shigure-san…if your theory is true, then Hatsuharu-san is in danger." Tohru said slowly. "We have to go to the main house and find him!"

"I'll go." Shigure said. "You three stay here. I'll also get Hiro, Kisa, and Kagura. I fear we all may be in danger."

Shigure left, and Tohru started to weep. "This is so terrible!"

"Honda-san, don't worry. This is one of the few times I trust Shigure to do the right thing." Yuki said. "If Akito knows we're on to him, it won't be long before he stops all together…I hope." There was doubt and fear in Yuki's voice.

"I hope so too…"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Standard disclaimers apply!**_

* * *

I updated finally! This chapter is a bit choppy...not my best work. Still, I wanted to give you guys an idea of what's going on. By the way, someone commented on how I tend to spell things wrong on one of my stories, well, you're right. Sorry about that guys. I'll try harder to edit my work!

* * *

Haru's stomach growled, and he sighed unhappily. _Why are these people keeping me here?_

The door opened, and standing in the doorway was none other than Akito.

"Well, if it isn't Hatsuharu. We haven't spoken in a long time."

"I preferred it that way." Haru said evenly. "What do you want from me, Akito?"

"Now Haru, what makes you think I want something from you? Maybe I just want to chat."

"So you chain me to a wall? Somehow, I doubt you want to chat."

Akito chuckled. "True. Haru, I'm surprised. I took you for a fool, being the ox and all. But it seems I was wrong. Unfortunately, that means I must dispose of you."

"**Aww, quit your blabbering**." Haru finally went black. "**If you kill me, do you really think the others won't realize what happened? You're going to die, Akito, and if you kill me, no one will care when you're gone. No one.**"

Akito stared at him. "No one will care anyway. You all want me dead."

"That's not true." White Haru returned. "You're bitter, Akito, so bitter you don't realize something. Despite your dangerous manner, there are people who loved you, just for you. But you pushed us all away. Now you have no one."

It seemed his words hit home. "What…what do you mean?" Akito asked.

"I mean, some people cared about you just because. Being head of the family wasn't why. They just cared for you." Haru was buying time. "But you were too angry to notice. Now, that love is gone, Akito. And yet you continue this harassment of the members of the zodiac."

There were sounds of commotion outside, but Akito didn't move. Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Akito!" It was Kagura. "How could you do this to my Kyou-kun?" Without a thought, she jumped him. "Damn you!"

Shigure was behind her with Hiro and Kisa. "Haru! Are you all right?"

He grunted in response.

"Kagura, stop it now. Stop!"

She stopped. This angered Akito.

"You dirty boar! How dare you touch me?"

"Akito, calm down!" Shigure was in over his head. "Kids, run! Run to my house!"

Kagura undid the chains holding Haru captive. "Come on!" And they ran, leaving Shigure alone with an enraged Akito.

They didn't stop until they reached the house. They startled Tohru, Yuki, and Momiji as they burst in.

"Haru!" Momiji was happy to see him. "Haru…you look tired. Where were you?"

Haru slumped down. "You don't want to know. How's Kyou?"

"We don't know. Ha'ri's in there now. What's going on, Haru? Is it Akito? Is Akito doing this?"

"Yes."

The room tensed. Yuki felt as though his fears were growing rapidly and swallowing him up. _I hoped it wasn't true…_

"Where's Shigure-san?" asked Tohru.

"Sensei…we left him alone with Akito!" Haru hadn't grasped the concept until now.

"What? Haru are you crazy!" Yuki yelled. "Now we have to go ba-"

"No one will be going back." Hatori appeared out of nowhere. "Shigure is the only one who can calm Akito. This is a dangerous situation, for all of us."

"Hatori-san! How's Kyou?" Tohru asked.

"He sustained a head injury. It's too early to tell anything."

A shot of fear ripped through the room.

_What if I never get to…to say I'm sorry… _Thought Yuki. _Why wasn't I nicer? Neither one of us asked to be possessed by the spirits of the cat and rat._

"So what's going to happen?" Hiro asked the question on everyone's mind. "I mean, if Akito's trying to kill one of us, how do we know he won't come after the rest of us?"

"I think Akito was trying to accomplish this unsuspected. I don't believe he'll try to continue."

"I do." Haru said quietly.

"What? Why?" Kagura asked. "Why continue this terror?"

"I think he believes killing us will make him live." Haru frowned. "But…I don't think so. I think he'll die anyway, and he'll have the guilt of trying to take the lives of others."

"Don't talk about that." Yuki hissed at him. "You'll scare everyone."

"Hatsuharu-san, you look pale. Are you okay?" Tohru asked.

He shrugged. "Tired, worried, and hungry. That's about it."

"How long were you in that place, Haru?" Kisa asked. "I came by earlier in the week and you weren't here."

"I don't really know. Right now I'm just tired."

"Hatsuharu, maybe I should look you over." Hatori said. "Come with me."

Haru followed Hatori into another room, and everyone started talking.

"What are we going to do?" Kagura cried.

"We're going to wait, and continue living as usual." Yuki responded.

"But we can't go back to the main house." Hiro said. "What about our families, huh? And Shigure is still back there with Akito. We can't just live as usual. This is not normal!"

"I know…I know…" Yuki said. "I can't change what is happening. I don't know what to do. Don't look at me and expect me to know."

"But you're the rat!" Hiro shouted. "The rat in the zodiac stories was clever and scheming, and always had some idea! Why don't you?"

"Because the rat in the stories isn't me, okay? I'm just me, Yuki Sohma. I can't do anything." Yuki got up and stormed out.

"Uh…Yuki-kun, wait!" Tohru went after him.

"Now look what you did Hiro." Momiji said. "Don't expect so much from people. Yuki's afraid, just like I'm sure you are. He's human too."

"Yes Hiro. Why were you so mean?" Kisa asked.

"I just…I don't know. He's the rat…he's older than us…he should know what to do."

"I'm older than Yun-chan and I don't know what to do." Kagura said. "We're all unsure. Don't put all the pressure on one person."

"Okay…" Hiro said uncertainly.

Just then the door slid open, and Shigure walked in.

"Shii-chan!" Kagura gasped. "You're okay!" Thank goodness!"

"Yes, well, Akito is not happy. I managed to calm him down and disband the team he hired. This is crazy…Oh I assume everyone's staying here tonight? Then I better find some sheets and such."

"Shigure-oji, what's going to happen?" Kisa asked.

"I just don't know…" he smiled. "But I promise I won't let anything happen, okay?"

"Okay." Kisa and Hiro left the room.

"Shii-chan, you can't really promise that, can you?" Kagura said softly.

"I suppose not…but I think we all need some comforting words right now, even if they're all lies."

"Yes. I think everyone needs to be lied to sometimes."


	12. Chapter 12

**_Standard disclaimers apply!_**

* * *

Wow, I made it to chapter 12. I never would have thought that when I started. Listen up guys, this is the second to last chapter of this story. But I might write a sequeal...if that's what you guys want. It's totally up to you.

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"Yuki-kun, what's wrong?" Tohru startled Yuki. He hadn't realized she had followed him outside.

"Nothing…I just…I don't know."

"You can talk to me Yuki-kun." Tohru said gently. "I'll listen."

Yuki looked at Tohru's face. It was always so sincere. _She helps all of us so much. But I'm not the one who needs her most right now._

He smiled at her. "Honda-san, I know I can always talk to you. But right now, Kyou's the one that needs you most. Go in and see him."

"Yuki-kun…."

"Come on, go." He said.

"Okay."

Quietly, Tohru slipped into Kyou's room. He was asleep, or so it seemed. His chest rose and fell weakly, and it pained Tohru to see Kyou so immobile.

_He's always so energetic. Seeing him like this, it just doesn't fit._

"Kyou-kun, can you hear me?" She whispered.

"He hasn't been responding." Tohru jumped. She had not been aware Hatori was in the room.

"What does that mean?" Tohru asked worriedly.

"It could mean nothing." Hatori said slowly. "It could mean he won't wake up."

Tears sprang into Tohru's eyes, and cascaded down her cheeks. She made no effort to stop the flood of water. "But it could mean nothing. He's probably just tired, right Hatori-san?"

He shook his head. "Honda-kun, I'm a doctor, not a psychic. I have no way of knowing what the future holds."

Tohru nodded, tears still flowing down her face like tiny rivers carving themselves into canyons. "I understand. Can I…spend some time alone with him?"

"Of course." Hatori left the room, and Tohru erupted with a new surge of tears.

"Oh Kyou-kun!" she cried. "Please don't leave us. I don't know what I'll do. Everyone is so worried. Kyou-kun, this wasn't supposed to happen. Akito-san, he's angry. But you shouldn't be the one to suffer because of his curse. Kyou-kun, please, don't make everyone else suffer too. Please come back to us, to me."

Her tears fell onto his face, and they glistened from the light shining through the window. Tohru tenderly brushed them away. When her hand touched his face, she felt the warmth of his body. Tentatively, she moved closer to him.

"I'm here, Kyou-kun. If you need strength, I'm here to give it."

She had no way of knowing Yuki was watching. He was, and what he saw tugged at his heart. _I was right. She wouldn't just come out and say it, but she really and truly loves him. _He felt a strange sensation in his chest, then realized it was his heart. It was breaking.

Tohru spent the rest of the night with Kyou. No one tried to convince her to leave. In fact, everyone had something else to worry about.

Haru has suffered mild dehydration and malnutrition, and felt feeble and groggy. He fell asleep in the living room, and no one wanted to wake him, although they figured he could answer quite a few of their questions.

Shigure and Hatori were trying to decide on what to do, and spent a great deal of the night trying to come up with a solid plan.

As for Kagura, she cooked dinner for everyone, then joined Tohru in Kyou's room. Yuki disappeared to brood over everything that had happened. Momiji was trying to entertain Hiro and Kisa, and above all, make them feel safe. It a strange way, what Akito was doing was bringing everyone together, even as it ripped them apart.

Hatori woke the next morning to someone calling his name.

"Hatori-san!" It was Tohru. Without a thought, he hopped up and rushed into Kyou's room. But her call wasn't of alarm, rather that of joy. Kyou had opened his eyes and was trying to sit up.

"Don't even think of moving, Kyou." Hatori said, smiling to show his relief. "Your body is weak. You need to rest."

"Aw come on! You could at least explain what's happening to me then." Kyou was his old self, and very cranky at that.

Hatori sighed. "You want to know everything that's happened?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." Kyou said impatiently.

Rather reluctantly, Hatori explained.

"That bastard Akito." Kyou clenched his fists. "If I ever see him again I don't know what I might do." His whole body shook in rage.

"Kyou-kun, um, you should take it easy." Tohru said. "We were all very worried about you and you shouldn't push yourself and get fatigued again."

Kyou was about to say something, but he saw the concern in Tohru's eyes. "Fine, I'll stay in bed. If that's what you really want. Just don't let anyone in here, okay?"

Tohru smiled. "Thank goodness."

Over a few days Kyou steadily improved to the point he insisted on going to school. Aside from that, nothing had changed. Shigure and Hatori had cautioned the other members of the zodiac, but no one could think of a solution. So everyone continued living at Shigure's house.

"Hurry up, we're going to be late." Kyou said to Yuki, Tohru, Haru, and Momiji.

"I've never seen him so eager to go to school." Tohru said to Momiji. "It's wonderful to see him well again."

Momiji smiled. "It sure is. If only everything else could be resolved as quickly as Kyou can recover."

Arisa and Hanajima were waiting at the school gate.

"Hey orange-top, good to have you back." Arisa grinned at him. "You sure had Tohru here worried. Don't go getting sick like that again."

"Whatever. Let's get inside."

The day dragged by. For one reason or another, Hanajima found herself outside during lunch, away from the others. She noticed a man standing by a car, staring at the school.

"Ah, miss?" He called out to her. He was quite handsome, but appeared rather frail.

She turned towards him slowly. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you might know a Miss Tohru Honda?" he asked.

"Why ye-" She stopped mid-sentence. She had sensed something in this man she did not trust at all. Almost as if a dark cloud of bitterness and vengeance hung around him.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have never heard of anyone by that name." She said, on guard. "Perhaps you're in the wrong place."

He stared at her with cold, lightless eyes. "If you don't know her, I suppose I should stop bothering you. Thank you for your time." He smiled, but only with his mouth. His eyes remained cold as stone.

"Good day." She quickly returned to the school.

"Tohru," she said slowly, "There's a strange man outside inquiring about you. I sensed dangerous waves coming from him. Please be careful."

"Oh, a man? Who could that be?"


	13. Chapter 13

**_Standard disclaimers apply!_**

* * *

_I never imagined I'd get here. The final chapter of this story. Like I said before, if you want a sequel, just say so. On a seperate note, sorry I didn't update in so long. My cousin wasup from New Jersey and I was hanging out with her. Anyway, here's the last chapter. Hope I did well._

* * *

"Honda-san, who was asking for you?" Yuki asked, concerned.

"Oh, Hana-chan said some man was outside looking for me. Probably somebody from work. Don't worry." She smiled at him.

"Okay…" Yuki was still worried.

Meanwhile, Kyou had a bit of a welcoming back committee.

"Hey, Kyon-Kyon, great to see yah!" Many people called.

"Hey man, how you been? I heard you were real sick." One boy said. "Is it contagious?"

Kyou growled. "Don't call me Kyon-Kyon. And no, it's not. Glad to see you were so worried about me."

He headed towards the window to escape the chaos. When he approached, who he saw outside stopped him cold.

_Akito._

"Yo, Yuki, come here." He called across the room.

Yuki and Tohru both looked at him amazed. _He actually wants to talk to me?_

"What is it?" Yuki asked.

Kyou looked Yuki in the eye, something neither of them had ever done to another. To them, looking your opponent in the eye was always respectful, and they didn't respect each other at all.

"He's here." Kyou said quietly.

Yuki's eyes widened. "What?"

"He's here." Kyou repeated. "Right outside. Just waiting for us." His hands formed into fists. "Just waiting to try again."

"There must be some way to stop him." Yuki said slowly. "After all, he's just human."

"Yeah…" Kyou seemed distracted. "But I don't just want to stop him, I want him to suffer….just like he made me….." He closed his eyes, as if remembering pain of the past. "Not just now…before…"

Yuki was confused. _What is he talking about? What else has Akito ever done to Kyou?_

"Kyou, don't do anything stupid." Yuki told him. "I'll get Momiji and Haru. We're going back to the house, now."

Kyou looked annoyed that Yuki was telling him what to do, but he didn't say anything.

"You can warn Tohru, and bring her with us as well. We'll leave during lunch."

That was next period. _If I could just land one punch on that bastard…_Kyou thought angrily. _That bastard Akito. But the rat's right. I can't do anything._

"Tohru, I need to talk to you." Kyou whispered.

"Coming." She beamed at him. "You know, it's so nice to have you back."

"Um, thanks." Kyou blushed. "Look, no time for that. Listen, we have to leave the school. Akito is waiting outside. It's dangerous. And we gotta do what we gotta do, so we're going back to the house. Okay?"

"Okay?" Tohru looked puzzled and saddened. "But Kyou-kun, what if he does something to you again?"

"Then I'll deal with it. It's not your problem."

"But I don't know what I'll do if something happens again." She said, tears starting to form. "Last time was so hard…"

"Don't cry! Look, I promise to be careful. And if something happens to me, don't be sad. Please, whatever you do, don't cry because of me."

Tohru looked into Kyou's eyes. They were full of emotion. Pain, anger, remorse, fear, but something new. Love. She could see it shining in his eyes.

"Oh, Kyou-kun!" She resisted the urge to hug him.

"Hurry up." Yuki had returned with the others. "The lunch bell just rang. We have to slip past Akito without him noticing us."

Everyone knew this was more serious than it seemed. It wasn't just sneaking out of school and breaking the rules. It wasn't like disobeying your parents. Every one of them could be seriously hurt by the man they were disobeying. The head of the family made the rules. Once they were broken, punishment was harsh.

"Tohru, slow down!" Kyou hissed. "You'll trip, and Akito will see us."

"Sorry." She didn't slow down though.

"Watch out for that garden house." Haru pointed out.

"What hos-" Tohru tripped. "Ahh!"

Akito's head turned rapidly. "Why you little punks. Trying to sneak away. I have you now." His grin was so wicked.

They all froze.

"Kyou, I see you're up and about. Well that's too bad. Do you know why?"

"Because you want me dead." Kyou said as he helped Tohru up.

Akito laughed. "Now Kyou, who says I want you dead. No, not now. That was never my intention. If you had just gone along with my plan nothing would have gone wrong. But you disregarded my wishes. Now I must punish you."

"How?" Kyou shouted. "What can you do to me now? I'm beyond fearing you. Pain is just a game now."

Akito smiled. "Oh, you think all pain is physical?"

Suddenly Tohru screamed, and they all whipped around. A man was holding a sharp knife to her throat.

"Akito you bastard!" Yuki and Kyou yelled at the same time.

Akito just smiled wider. "Kyou, I'm sorry it had to come to this, I really am. But this is punishment, after all. Poor little Tohru must lose her life."

"AKITO!" Kyou was beyond himself with rage. Without thinking, he lunged at Akito.

"Kyou, no!" Yuki shouted, trying to stop him.

"Cut her throat!" Akito shouted happily. "I can't wait to see the blood."

Kyou turned mid-leap. His speed was unimaginable. "Tohru, no!" He grabbed the hand the knife was in, and threw the man to the ground.

Other men appeared from behind bushes.

"Which one, sir?" They asked Akito.

Akito smiled evilly. "All of them."

Events exploded. Yuki slammed his fist into Akito's face as Haru turned to face the other men. Momiji rushed to Tohru's side and pulled her behind a car just as a group of girls came out of the school.

"Oh my god, that man is attacking Price Yuki!" One shrieked.

"Save the prince!" Another cried. The girls mobbed Akito, hitting him with anything in their hands.

Kyou was still wrestling with the armed man.

"You're a crazy kid, you know that?" The man told Kyou, as he stabbed him.

Kyou didn't say anything, and despite the wound, continued to fight. He threw the man to the ground again.

"You can't win." The man attacked with his knife again. This time, Kyou cried out.

Yuki turned. _Oh my god. _All he saw was the glitter of the blade and the red of blood. Without thinking, he rushed into the fray.

He ripped the knife from the man's grasp, blade in hand. He started to bleed, but he didn't notice.

"Oh no! We need an ambulance!" Tohru screeched. The other girls turned hearing her cry.

"Oh my god!" Another voice shouted. "This man isn't moving. He's not moving!"

"Momiji, call 911." Haru called to him. He was bleeding as well.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru rushed over to him. He was breathing with difficulty, and it seemed blood was on everything.

"Oh, Kyou-kun, no, no no!" She whispered. "Not again. Not again."

Teachers rushed to the scene before the ambulances arrived.

"Sohma Hatsuharu, what happened here?" One of them asked.

Haru quickly came up with a story and began to relay it to the teachers as the medical personal arrived.

Yuki came over to Tohru as Kyou was placed on a stretcher.

"Oh, Yuki-kun, you're bleeding!" She said, looking at his hand. "And you've been beaten so badly." She was crying. "And Kyou-kun….I don't know if I should go with him or stay with you."

_No matter what, she always thinks of others first._

"Go with Kyou." He said. "I don't need you here."

"But Yuki-kun…."

"Go. Kyou needs you. And you need him."

"Are you sure?"

"Honda-san, go with the one you love. Go now."

Tohru smiled at him sadly. "Thank you." She hopped in the ambulance, and as it drove away, Yuki let him tears fall, something he hadn't done since he was young.

"Young man, are you okay?" Someone called.

"No." He whispered to himself. "But I will be."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hello, all you wonderful people who read my story! I have started the sequel to this story. It's called So Here We Are Again… Please r&r!**_

I also want to say thank you to every last person that reviewed my story all at once. I appreciate it more than you can imagine! You all rock! Sometime I'll get around to putting everyone who reviewed up here.


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